Fighting with fear
by Dragon-it
Summary: When Scout finds an injured girl wondering alone in the night, he brings her back to 2Fort. But she doesn't know anything, literally, not even her own name. How will she cope in the big wide world... Will she find out who she is?... And will her new, and only, friends help to guide her along the way?
1. Chapter 1  Running

**A/N: ****A/N: Hey! This is my first fan fiction so please be kind but any criticism is welcome! Also I don't know too much about TF2 (even though I LOVE the game)… so there may be a few mistakes. I'll do a bit of research… I've also redone this so it is a lot longer.**

**Right, I've edited all of the chapters. None of the plot has been changed, but I have tweaked with the wording a little and sorted out all of the spelling and grammar mistakes. Hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own TF2…but I am trying to persuade my dad to let me have steam.**

Fighting with fear

By Dragon-it

She had been running for what felt like forever and she couldn't remember anything about her past.

She didn't know where in the world she was, how far she had ran, how she had got there… or even her name. All she knew was that her feet were killing her, she had a stomach ache due to starvation and she was on the brink of collapsing from exhaustion.

But she didn't dare stop, as she knew that if she were to stop, she would most probably pass out… and then they'd get her.

How they knew she was gone, she didn't know. There had to be at least a thousand people in that building and they noticed that SHE had escaped! It didn't make any sense to her! Then again, not many things made sense to her.

She'd been in that building for as long as she could remember, with no family or friends… just her golden locket with the small diamond in the middle, and a man that would come into her room and bring her a sandwich and a bottle of water every day.

Apart from that, she was always alone. But she always felt like someone, or something, was there, watching her every move.

But now the young girl was in the one place she had always dreamt of: outside. It was like a dream come true, apart from the part were she was walking through a desert of some sort and trying avoiding those men who were definitely trying to get her.

But there was another problem; something was hurting her in a strange way. It was a very weird feeling.

She felt scared, helpless and… alone. All of the feelings she had hardly felt before. Well, the feelings she thought she had never felt before.

But she had always felt alone in the room in which she was kept (apart from when that creepy man came in a delivered her food, but he only stayed for 10 seconds) and, maybe, she had felt a little scared in that building.

But outside, in the open, she was terrified.

The girl had to keep pushing herself to continue. Her boots were becoming very tight and made walking very difficult for her, as they were leaving blisters on her feet. They were hurting her so bad that she began to limp.

It was getting dark and extremely cold. The frozen girl felt like she was going blue, but couldn't tell. It didn't help that she was only wearing a grey tank top, a pair very tight black shorts and those horrible boots.

And if she didn't find shelter soon, she would most likely die out there.

'If I wanted to die, I would have stayed in that hell-hole of a building!' She thought.

'Why didn't I just stay? I could have stayed, lived a lot longer and not freeze to death… but nooo! I had to be stupid and escape just to see what the moon looks like! Then again, I suppose it's quite cool, so I guess it was worth it?'

She thought about it for a good five minutes, before shaking her head.

'No, actually it wasn't… can't see the bloody thing properly anyway!'

The girl was angry with herself, in fact she was furious! She didn't understand why she didn't do as she was told.

The scary lady (that's what the girl had named her anyway) had told her that she only had to wait a few years and then she would become important to… something?

She couldn't remember! It seemed whenever that woman would start to talk, her brain switched off after 30 seconds of listening to her gibberish.

When she was escaping, one of the guards found her outside and kept shouting at her to stop… but she ran instead. It wasn't like her to do that.

She had always done as she was told… always! But as soon as she got outside, she just kept running. Even when they started to shoot at her, her gut told her to carry on running because she knew they wouldn't hit her. She was far to fast for them.

It was like something in her mind kept telling her to keep on going. That the building wasn't safe and she had to get as far away from it as possible. And she had, possibly. She didn't know for sure.

'Why? Why, why, why, why?' She thought, unaware that there were tears streaming down her cheeks.

'Why didn't I do as I was told? Why can't I stop crying? Why can't I remember anything? Why can't-'

Her thoughts were cut off when she noticed a few faint voices and a small, bright light in the distance. She stopped in her tracks, trying hard to hear the noise through her sobs.

As she got nearer, and had stopped crying, she began to recognise one of the sounds. It was soft sound, but loud enough for her to hear it.

'Hey, I think I know that, umm… noise! Someone must be playing it on a… oh, what the hell is it called?'She questioned herself, trying very hard to remember.

But she was trying so hard, however, that she hadn't noticed the fairly large rock in her path. She tripped over it, hit her foot and stumbled, then fell over and landed on her face.

'_AHHH_... OW! Oh… shit! Goddamn boots… no use to anyone! Can't believe it! Of all the shoes there were, I picked these! I'm stupid, stupid, stupid, stu-'

Then something caught her eye. There was something dark all down her leg, and her knee was stinging and throbbing.

'Oh my god! What the hell is wrong with my le- AGGHH!'She gave out a small scream when touched her knee. She hadn't seen her leg like that before; it was covered in something dark, thick and wet, plus it hurt when she even very lightly touched her knee it. She tried wiping the thick liquid off of her, only to cover her hand with it… and suffer more pain. She brought her hand up to her face to get a closer look.

'What the… what is this stuff? It's dark and red and… oh my god! It's coming out my knee! I have to stop it! I have to stop it, have to st- OW! Ok, better not touch my knee… I know that now. But what do I do? What do I-'

"OW, OW, and OW!" She screamed.

She hadn't felt this kind of pain before (since the only pain she could actually remember was a toothache). She didn't know what to do, so she just sat there, on the ground and cried.

'Ok, I know I've told myself that I cry a lot… but now I have a reason too!'She thought.

As she kept crying, hugging her knee, she started to think again. And she kept on thinking about… absolutely nothing. She was in so much shock that she had forgotten what she was thinking about!

'Jeez, I suck at remembering things! Ok, so… umm, I was walking, and then... I… uh, heard a noise? Yes that's it! And I was…'She stopped again, interrupted by a loud "clunk" sound and an object flying through the air, heading for her.

Since she didn't know what to do, and she couldn't stand up and run away, she just brought her red stained arms up and covered her face.

"OH MY GOD!" She screamed.

As the object came flying towards her, she squeezed her eyes shut, prepared to get hit and… it landed on the ground and just rolled to her feet.

She very slowly moved her arms away from her face and opened her eyes a notch.

"Huh," Was all that came out of her mouth.

'I thought that thing was going to hit me… but I guess not.' She thought.

She stared at the object for a while, until she decided that it wasn't going to do anything to hurt her.

The now curious girl reached forward to grab it, but brushed her arm against her knee in the process. She gritted her teeth at the pain, but she wouldn't let that kill her curiosity.

When her fingers touched the round object, she quickly pulled her hand away. Then she very slowly moved her hand forward again and wrapped her thin fingers around the object.

When she saw that it was defiantly safe to pick up, she brought it right up to her face.

'What is this thing?' She thought. She held the object in her right hand, then with her left hand, clenched in a fist, gently tapped it.

She repeated what she had done several times, going from tapping the object to hitting it.

'Huh, well its round and from what I can gather… pretty hard!'

She then started to move it from one hand to the other, observing it's every move. As she moved the object in her hands, a small smile began to creep across her face.

It was then followed by a huge grin. She was like a kitten, playing with a ball of string.

But her smile soon disappeared when she heard footsteps heading in her direction. Her head lifted in flash, her hazel eyes searching the darkness for any movement. As the footsteps came nearer, she could hear a low mumble in the air.

Her eyes widened as she realized what was happening. She began to panic and had multiple thoughts rush through her mind.

Things like _'oh my god, someone's coming'_and _'oh no, they've found me already!' _followed by_ 'they're gonna kill me, I know it'._

But as the mysterious figure approached her, she noticed that it was carrying a small stick with a light shining out of the end. She was also able to make out some of the things it was mumbling; something about finding a thing called baseball and then beating up another thing named Snipes.

She quickly brought her knees up to her chest and put her head down, ignoring the pain that was still in her knee.

She stayed as still as possible and held her breath, trying not to attract any attention. The footsteps became louder and louder, the light getting brighter as it scanned the darkness for life

'Oh god,' She thought. 'Don't find me, don't find me, oh, please don't find me...'

She then felt a bit faint and help but let out a loud breath of air. She gasped and quickly covered her mouth with her hands. 'Crap!'

The light travelled back in her direction and landed on her feet. It then slowly travelled up her body and stopped moving when it got to her head.

The girl, who was now terrified out her skin, opened her eyes and slowly lifted her head, only to be blinded by a bright light.

"Holy shi-. That's bright!" She said quietly as she put her head back down, but it was loud enough that the figure could hear it.

"Huh?" Said a voice. "Oh, geez, sorry 'bout that. Are you ok?"

It was a different voice to what the girl had expected; it sounded younger and much happier then those of the men in the building.

The girl brought her head up and looked at the young man standing before her. She couldn't get a proper look at him because of the darkness, but she could tell he wasn't one of them. Those alone made her 'scared to death' level go down.

"What?" She said.

"Well, you don't look ok. Are ya lost?" Asked the young man. He had an accent, and she felt she had heard it somewhere before.

"Uh, kind of, I guess," She answered, very unsure of what she should say.

"Wad'ya mean 'I guess'?"

"I'm... Uhh... I kind of... Umm..." Was all she could get out of her mouth.

"Have ya runaway or somethin'?"

The girl just nodded as a reply. The young man slowly gave one nod before he said, "Well you shouldn't be on the ground, plus ya look like you need some help. Come on." He then held out a hand, which was wrapped in bandages. The girl just looked at him, then at his hand and finally back to him.

"What are you doing?" She asked.

"Well I ain't just gonna leave you here," He shook his hand slightly. "Grab my hand and I'll help you up."

"But it's all bandaged, wouldn't it hurt if I touched it?"

"What? Oh my hand? Nah, it's always bandaged."

"Why? Is it some sort of athletic tape or something?"

"Look, let me help ya up, and get ya to a safe place, then I'll tell ya! Deal?" Said the young man. He was obviously getting frustrated now. And the girl didn't want anyone else turning into her enemy.

"Ok, sorry." She grabbed onto his hand and he lifted he with ease, which was kind of unexpected considering he looked very thin and not strong at all.

"Whoa, that can't be good," Said the young man.

"What?" Asked the girl curiously.

"Your lighter then anythin'!"

"Oh, is that bad? Because- OW! My knee!" She screamed.

"Huh, oh shit. Come here, I'll carry ya." Before she could protest, the young man scooped the girl in his arms.

"Ahhh! What are you doing?"

"Uh, carrying ya. We'll get there faster anyway."

"Where? Where are you taking me?"

"Back to the van, then back to the base."

"What? I don't understand a word your saying!"

"Look, just hold tight 'cos I'm gonna run and I don't want ya bouncing out my arms."

"Ok, sorry," When the young man started to walk quickly, she tugged on his shirt. "Wait, I forgot something!"

"What? You had something with ya?" Asked the young man curiously.

"Yes, it's over there," She grabbed the light which the young man held in his hand and shined the light to where she was sitting. "See?"

The young man turned round and looked to where the girl was pointing the light. She looked at his face and saw that a small, soft smile was planted on his face.

"Hey my baseball! That's where it went, landed right by ya, huh?" He asked.

"Uh, if that's a baseball then yes!" She laughed. She then slowly slipped out of the young mans arms and limped towards the ball.

She picked it up and held it out to the boy, who still had the smile on his face. "Here you go, it is yours after all."

"Thanks! Come on, we better go!" He put the baseball in his pocket and held out his arms. When the girl came near enough, he scoped her back into his arms, turned around again and ran off into the darkness.

"Uh... I'm Nathan by the way, but you can call me Scout. Everyone does. What's your name?" He said after a while.

"Ok, Scout. I'm... uhh..." Started the girl, knowing that she couldn't answer his question the way it was supposed to be answered. But she could still give him the closet anwser possible.

"Just call me Subject Zero. Or just Zero."


	2. Chapter 2  Meeting others

**A/N: Thanks to my reviewers, glad you liked the first chapter! Well here's Chapter 2!**

**(EDIT: This chapter has been edited. Like the last chapter, I have only tweaked with the wording and sorted out the spelling and grammar!)**

**Disclaimer: Still don't own TF2 or its characters, just my OC**.

"Are we there yet?" Zero asked.

"For the tenth time, no!" Sighed Scout. They had been running for only 5 minutes and the girl was already getting on his nerves.

"Oh, well how far away is this thing anyway?"

"What thing?"

"That thing you said you were gonna take me too."

"The van?"

"Yeah."

"Not far, but I'm carryin' you! If I weren't carryin' ya, I could get there in two minutes flat."

"But I thought you said I didn't weigh much?"

"Ya don't but..." Scout once again sighed. "Listen, please be quiet and we'll get there faster. Ok?"

"Ok, sorry." Zero said sadly.

She was bored, very bored. She wondered why Scout didn't talk to her. He spoke a lot when he stumbled across her, and was very quick in wanting to help her.

But now he was just running silently. It was Zero's turn to sigh.

"What's wrong?" Scout asked.

"Nothing, I'm just bored out of my mind!" She exclaimed.

'I thought the outside world would be more adventurous than this.' She thought.

"Ya want somethin' to do?"

"Yeah, but what? I'm in your arms and can hardly walk."

"Well," Started Scout. It was true; Zero couldn't do much while he was carrying her. And her knee was preventing her from doing anymore walking, let alone running. He wondered. He could give her his baseball, but she'd only constantly drop it and he was getting tired.

'Aw crap!' He thought. 'What can she do?'

Then he looked up.

"Count the stars," He said at last.

"Count the what?" Zero asked.

"The stars. Please tell me ya know what they are." Said Scout hopefully.

"No, I don't." Said Zero. Scout stopped in his tracks, put Zero gently on the ground and kneeled beside her.

"Look up." He said.

"Why?" She asked.

"Just look up."

"Ok?" Zero did as she was told and slowly looked up at the night sky. She couldn't see anything, so she focused her eyes even harder. She widened them again, though, when she said,

"Scout? Why are there white dots in the sky?"

"They're the stars," Answered Scout. "Now count 'em." He then got up and started to walk off. "I'll be back in a minute. Just stay here."

Zero snapped her head in Scout direction.

"WAIT! Where are you going? Please don't leave me!" She screamed. "Scout? Scout! Please don't leave me here alone!"

"What?" He said as he turned around. But his eyes widened when he saw her face. She had a look on her that made him want to just pick her up and run full speed back to the van, just to get her somewhere safe.

Zero's eyes were wider than anything he'd ever seen. Her face was completely colourless, and it looked like her tear stained cheeks where getting a fresh, new layer. She also looked unnaturally ill.

"Please don't go!" She begged.

Scout didn't know what to do. He needed to get back to the van but Zero was begging him to stay. And he couldn't carry her anymore because his arms were aching. So he just walked back over to the girl and held out the flashlight. He had a plan to keep her occupied for a few minutes and for Scout, that was all the time he needed.

"I'm not gonna leave you here forever," He said as he handed Zero the light. "Take this."

"Where are you going?"

"I'm just gonna go back to the van and bring a friend back wit' me. He's gonna have ta carry ya back."

"Why? Why can't you carry me?"

"I'm not exactly the type you could carry a girl for a long time. Look," Said Scout softly as he knelt back down next to Zero. "Lie down and stare at the sky. See how many stars ya can count by the time I get back. It'll only be for a few minutes. But keep the flashlight pointing up so I can see where ya are."

Zero looked at him, her eyes sore from the crying she had done all day. She wiped her tears with the back of her hand and lay down on the ground. She then started to count.

"One, two, three, four. How long will you take, Scout?"

"Only a few minutes." Scout answered.

"And you'll come back and pick me up, right?"

"Ye, 'course I will!" He said as he stood up. Zero turned her head and looked at the boy.

"You promise?" She asked. Scout sighed and looked back at the girl.

"I promise. Now carry on counting. You got ta four." He said. Then he started to jog off. But while he went, he could hear Zero's soft voice going, "Five, six, seven, and eight."

Zero was all on her own again, but was a lot calmer then before. While she counted the stars as instructed, she began to feel very tired. Her eyes began to flicker and her grip on the flashlight loosened. She began to yawn in between number

"Fifty... Fifty one... Fifty... Two... Fifty..." She said weakly. Her eyes then closed and she fell into a light sleep.

Scout was jogging quickly to the van. He knew he'd have to be quick like he said, or Zero might freak out. And that was the last thing that he wanted. He wiped some sweat off his forehead.

'Man, that girl looks familiar' He thought. 'I dunno why, but I feel that I know her.'

He shrugged. 'I must've seen someone similar to her before.'

Scout's quickened his pace when he saw the light of the campfire. When he reached the van, he was greeted by a very tall man wearing a hat and glasses and a smaller man wearing overalls.

"Where've you been, Scout? How far did'ja hit the ball?"

"It doesn't matter, Snipes. Just come wit' me, would ya? I need your help." Said Scout.

"Why? What'ja need?"

"I need ya to carry someone for me,"

"Wait," Said the smaller man. "Did you say 'someone'?"

"No, Engie, I just asked Sniper to come with me so he can carry a huge rock that I'm gonna throw at someone's head when we get back!" Scout gave him a serious look, and then burst out laughing. "I'm just joking with ya, hard hat! Now come on Snipes we gotta hurry!"

"Not 'till you tell us who it is," Said Sniper.

"I'll show ya, now come on!" Huffed Scout. He grabbed Sniper by the arm and dragged him back in Zero's direction.

"Engie, stay 'ere, would'ja?" Called Sniper to Engineer.

"All right," Called Engie back.

"And put the stuff back in the van!"

Zero's eyes snapped open when she heard footsteps. She quickly shot up and picked up the flashlight which had rolled onto the ground. She used it to scan the area around her.

'Where's Scout? He said he'd be back.' She thought. She tried to get up, but immediately fell back down and clutched her leg.

"Ow, my knee... Oh god, it's doing that thing again!" She said under her breath. She tried, once again, to wipe the liquid off of her.

It stung, but not as much as the first time it had happened. She was determined to stop the liquid this time.

She grabbed the bottom of her tank top and ripped a large bit of the fabric off. She then placed it on her knee and began to wipe the thick, red substance off of her leg.

'Why didn't I think of this before?' She thought. 'It's much easier than-'

She heard mumbling and turned her head in a flash. She then flashed the light in the direction of the voices. 'Please be Scout, please be Scout!'

Luckily enough, the light landed on a figure in a red t-shirt. "Hey, put the light down. You're burnin' my eyes!" Came a voice, the one she wanted.

"Sorry Scout! I was scared. I thought you weren't coming back!" Zero nervously laughed.

"Was that a girl?" Said another voice.

"Scout, who's with you?" Said Zero in a panicked tone. Scout rushed over to her and kneeled beside her.

"Calm down, he's a friend. He ain't gonna hurt ya!" When the other figure came into view, Zero calmed down. She saw a man in a hat and wearing glasses.

And when he came closer, she saw that he was a lot taller than Scout. He also knelt down beside her.

"Don't worry, Scout asked me to carry you to that van. That's all." He told her.

"Who are you?" Asked Zero.

"Sniper, this is Zero. Zero, this is Sniper." Said Scout. He then saw the bottom of Zero's top and asked, "Where the hell did ya shirt go?"

Zero showed him the pieces of fabric in her hand, both of which was covered in the liquid.

"Aw, shit! Your knee's bleeding again?"

"Bleeding?" Asked Zero.

"Ye, you got blood comin' outta your knee."

"You don't know what blood is, Sheila?" Asked Sniper.

"Well, I do now! Can you stop it? It hurts." Zero said.

Sniper took the piece of shirt and pressed it against Zero's knee. "OW! What the hell are you doing?"

"Just stay still, Zero. It'll stop in a minute." Said Scout. Zero sat still and gritted her teeth.

'I hope this Sniper guy knows what he's doing!' She thought.

Five minutes later, Zero was in Sniper's arms and the group where on their way to the van. Her tank top had turned into a crop top as the rest of the fabric had been tied around her knee.

"Scout, y'do know this girl don't weigh much, right?" Said Sniper.

"Uh, yeah! I did carry her ya know! But I couldn't anymore, that why I got you." Scout said.

"Yes, he did! But he was very slow in walking!" Zero laughed.

"Hey! Just shut up and keep counting the stars!"

Zero sighed. "Fifty eight, fifty nine, and sixty..."

"Why the hell is she counting the stars?" Whispered Sniper.

"It was the only way to get her to calm down so I could get ya." Answered Scout.

"Oh," Said Sniper. Scout then ran ahead and reached the van.

"Hey hard hat, come on we gotta hurry." Said Scout to Engineer.

"Alright, slow down Scout. You were only gone for ten minutes! Where's Sniper?" Asked the Texan.

"Carrying Zero. That's why we gotta hurry, she's in a bad state and as soon as Sniper gets back, he's putting her straight on his bed."

"Wait, who? And 'she'?"

"Oh, right! I never told you who I found, did I?"

"No, you didn't. So could yo-" Engie was cut off by a small voice.

"One hundred and three, one hundred and four..."

"You know you can stop counting if you want?" Said Sniper.

"But I've counted so many! One hundred and five, one hundred and six..."

Sniper just shook his head and smiled. He then caught sight of Engineer and shrugged. "Engie, this is Zero."

Zero snapped out of her trance and turned her head. "Huh? Oh, hi!"

"Hello, miss. Ok Scout, get in the van." Engie said, and then got inside the van. Sniper followed and finally Scout got in and shut the doors. Zero was put on Sniper's bed.

"Snipes, get the van going and head back to the base." Said Scout.

"Yeah, yeah." Said Sniper. Then all three men turned to Zero.

They could all see her clearly now; they saw a girl about Scout's age, her hair was dark brown and messily tied up with a rubber band.

Her eyes, even though red and irritated, were a light hazel colour. Her body was covered with scars, most of them all up her arms and a few up her legs. She looked tired and hurt, but mostly ill. She had dark circles under her sore red eyes.

Scout looked at her from head to toe, and realized she was wearing something around her neck which was tucked in her shirt.

"Zero, are you wearing a necklace?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah. It's my locket," She said as she pulled it out. "I can't open it though."

"Why not?" Asked Engie. Zero sat up and turned her locket on its side. She then pointed to a small hole.

"I think I need a small key or something. I don't think I'll ever know what's in it!" She said sadly. Scout's eyes widened.

'I'm sure I've seen that somewhere before!'He thought.

Zero then yawned as Sniper climbed into the driver's seat. "If you want, you can go to sleep; we'll wake you up when we get to the base." He said.

"Thanks, Sniper." She said. She then lay down and turned her head. "Thanks for saving me, Scout."

"Hey, no problem toots." He said.

Zero's eyes once again shut tight and she fell to sleep. But before she did, she muttered, "Scout?"

"Yeah?"

"I counted one hundred and seventeen stars. Just thought I'd tell you."


	3. Chapter 3 Morning trouble

**A/N: Hey! I am SO sorry I didn't upload this sooner! I am really, TRULY sorry! But hopefully I can make up for it... here's chapter 3. **

**(EDIT: This chapter has been edited. Like the last chapter, I have only tweaked with the wording and sorted out the spelling and grammar!)**

**Disclaimer: Don't own Tf2... I never have done and never will since it belongs to Valve. I only own my OC and the plot.**

_Zero screamed as loud as she could. They had her pinned to a table, in a dark room, with only her and six men inside it. They were holding her down by her wrists and ankles. _

_She tried to kick them away, but they were too strong. A booming voice echoed across the room, commanding the men to do something that Zero couldn't understand. The men focused on the voice, and they're grip loosened. _

_It was just enough for Zero the twist herself out of the men's hands and fall to the ground. She tried to get up and run, but one of the men grabbed her legs and started to drag her back to the table. _

_Zero clawed at the floor, desperately trying to get away. She proved difficult for the man to handle, so another took over and grabbed Zero's ankles. He lifted her up, swung her around like a rag doll and slammed her into a wall._

_Zero fell to the ground, lying motionless on the floor while uncontrollable tears streamed down her cheeks. The men stood their ground and left her alone for a while, until she once again, tried to get up. She coughed and spat blood, holding her side. _

_One of them said, "She's not dead," and then strode over to the girl and grabbed her by her shoulders, lifting her up so she was facing him. _

_"Broken nose, split lip, black eye and she's bleeding at the back of her head. Also, possibly, a few cracked bones. Write it down," As the smallest man noted the information, the others roughly placed Zero back onto the table. _

_She didn't struggle as she was too weak to do anything; even breathing was painful for her. The only thing she could do was let out little sounds of pain and defeat, with hope that they'd leave her alone._

_The same man who'd thrown her into a wall placed one of his big hands on Zero's forehead, squishing her head into the hard, metal table, and hissed at her to shut up._

_"Six hours, forty-seven minutes and twenty-eight seconds it took to make her break." He shouted to the smaller man. _

_The booming voice once again echoed through the room, "All right boys, that'll do for today. Send her back." _

_As soon as that was said, the men grabbed Zero's neck and stabbed her with an injection of some sort._

_Zero let out a final scream before she fell limp and darkness fell over her._

Zero's eyes snapped open and she shot up, eyes full of fear. She blinked a couple of times before she became adjusted to the light.

"AH! What... what happened... I... huh?" She said. She then looked at her wrists, ankles, slowly touched her nose and then the back of her head.

"It... It was only... Only a dream." Zero sighed and fell back, her head landing on the pillow. She was safe, for now. They hadn't got her, not yet. She turned to her side, closed her eyes and buried her face in the pillow.

'Oh my god... I can't believe... I just had a dream! But they're not going away, they're not going away, they're never- Hang on!' She thought as a sudden jolt of realization and panic shot through her.

'Where the hell am I? Where's Sco-'

"Scout?" She asked quietly. When they're came no answer she called again. "Scout? Scout? Scout!" She said getting more and more worried when no reply came.

"Scout! Sni- Sniper? Engi- Engineer? Hello? Anyone? Hello!" Zero's eyes then started to sting with tears again. As they fell down her cheeks, she curled up into a ball and cried.

Where are they? Where have they gone? Maybe they didn't help me at all. Maybe they just brought me back to the building again. She thought. I can't trust anyone, no one! And to think, I trusted him with my life- Wait a sec...

"Why did I trust him?" She said as she lifted her head. "I... I only just met him, and I trusted him with my LIFE! Wow, no name, you really are dumb. But… I guess he did seem a bit familiar." She sighed, not knowing what to do next.

She turned her head towards the door. "I wonder..."

Zero got up from the bed and slowly walked towards the door. Her hand reached the handle and she pushed down. There was a click and Zero pulled the handle towards her, bringing the door with it. It was open.

'Well that proved one thing; I'm not back in the building. They always lock the doors, and no matter how hard I try, Ican never get out.' She thought.

Zero stepped outside the room and into the hallway. It was long, very long, with 9 doors going along each wall; 5 on one side, and 4 on the other.

'There must be 9 rooms. I wonder if anyone's in them.'

Zero crept to the door opposite her. She bent down and looked through the keyhole, trying to see if she could spot anyone. The only thing she could she was a chest of drawers, and behind that was a bed. But it looked empty.

'Oh, I guess there's nobody in there. Well that's a worry; I might be alone in this place.' Zero stopped when she saw the covers moving, and an arm fell, hanging off the bed. And the hand attached to the arm... was bandaged.

'Scout!'Zero thought happily.

She slowly got up and quietly opened the door. She peeked her head through and looked at the person in the bed. A head with short, brown hair lay out of the covers and a hat and headset was on top of the chest of drawers.

'Yep, definitely Scout.'Zero smiled.

He looked peaceful. He lay there sleeping quietly, not even snoring.

'I don't want to wake him. Maybe I'll go for a walk.' She thought.

Zero slipped back outside, quietly closing the door after her. Her eyes caught on a little bit of wood that hung above the door frame. The word 'Scout' was engraved into it.

Huh, I wonder if any of the other rooms have names on the door.

As she walked down the hallway, Zero looked at the door frames, checking for names.

"Scout, Heavy, Soldier, Demoman and Medic on this side. And... Engineer, Pyro and Spy on that side." She said quietly.

"But that's only... 8 names. There are 9 rooms. Who's missing?" Zero's thought were interrupted by alarms, many alarms, all going off at the same time. Zero covered her ears and ran down the hallway, down the stairs and then into the first room she could see. She then slammed the door shut and crouched beside it.

Oh my god! Why the hell does it have to be so loud? She thought. Then she heard the loudest shout ever.

"MAGGOTS! OUT OF BED! NOW!"

"Holy moly... that guy's shout is louder then all those alarms." Zero whispered to herself. She then heard groaning, a lot of annoyed, tired groaning. "Guess he's annoyed a lot of people... they must be the people who live in those rooms." She guessed.

Then a series of doors opening and feet stomping out of rooms could be heard. Then another shout. "SCOUT! GET YOUR LAZY ASS OUT OF BED NOW!"

"Shut up wit' the shoutin'!" Scout shouted. "You'll wake the Zero!"

"Well then you shouldn't have brought her here in the first place! War is no place for women!"

"Yeah well I won't leave a girl out in the middle of nowhere all by herself." Scout's footsteps then proceeded to the other side of the hallway. He knocked on the door.

"Zero? You awake?" He knocked again. "Toots, you even in there?" He opened the door and stayed quiet for a minute.

'Maybe I should head up there.' Zero thought. She opened the door a bit so she could hear a little better.

"She's not there! Where the hell did she go?" Scout's voice was full of worry. He ran down the hallway and made it halfway down the stairs.

"Yo, Zero? Where are ya?" He jumped the rest of the stairs and ran into the room next to the one Zero was in. Zero got up and quietly slid out the room. She then walked into the next room and tapped Scout on the shoulder.

"I'm here. Don't panic!" She said quietly. Scout spun round and gently placed his hands on her shoulders.

"Where the hell did ya go? I got worried." He said.

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why did you get worried? We've only known each other for less than a day."

"Uh..." Was all Scout could say. 'She's right, why did I get worried?' He asked himself.

"Oh, you found her then." Said a voice. Zero turned her head to see who spoke. Engineer stood in the doorway, smiling.

"Hey!" Said Zero happily.

"Mourning, Miss. You look a little better today. And Scout, you can let go of her now."

"Huh, oh! Right..." Said Scout and he let go of Zero. He mouthed a 'sorry' to her. She smiled.

"Um, Engie? Who the hell was shouting?" She asked.

"Soldier. Might want to look out, though. He doesn't take too kindly to girls being in the base." Engie answered. He then looked at Zero from top to bottom. "We might want to get you some new clothes. You look about Scout's height; you can borrow some of his."

"What? Why me?" Asked Scout.

"Look at her, son. Do you really think she'll fit into anyone else's clothes?"

"No." Scout then sighed and slung his arm over Zero's shoulders. "Come on, let's get ya some clothes." He then started to lead her back upstairs.

"See you later, Engie." Said Zero. She then looked at Scout. "Where is everyone else? I heard a lot of people talking."

"Shower, and please tell me ya know what that is?" He asked.

"Uh, duh! Of course I know what a shower is. And no, I don't want to join them, thanks!"

"I think I figured that out!" Scout laughed. He then proceeded into his room. Zero sat on his bed while he searched his drawers and wardrobe for an outfit for her.

She looked at his room; black carpet, red walls, red bed covers, wooden chest of drawers, wardrobe and desk with a chair. He had a mirror on top of the drawers and a few other small things. There were posters taped up on his walls, most of them Zero recognised as sports players, but she didn't know their names… or the sport.

"Nice room." She said.

"Thanks. Um... you mind wearing a hooded jacket?" Asked Scout. Zero shook her head and smiled. Scout smiled back and handed her clothes. "Here, go get change then meet me downstairs."

"Okay, thanks." Zero said. She then walked towards the door, but stopped and turned so she was facing Scout. "Thank you for saving me."

"No problem." He told her. Zero then ran out of his room and into the one in which she had been placed in.

Zero changed into her new clothes; a white t-shirt, red jacket, black 3/4 trousers, white socks and black trainers. She then went downstairs to meet Scout, who was waiting at the bottom of the stairs for her.

"They fit?" He asked her.

"Yes, thanks." She answered. "What now?" Her stomach grumbled, and she looked down in confusion. "What the hell was that?"

"You're hungry. We should get ya some breakfast."

Zero nodded. She followed Scout into a room; one side had a kitchen, the other was a dining room with a huge table.

"Go sit down by Mumbles and I'll get'cha somthin' to eat." Said Scout.

"Mumbles?" Asked Zero.

"Pyro. You see the one without a face?"

"Without a- Oh the one wearing a fire suit and a mask?"

"Ye, that's the one, Hey Mumbles, can Zero sit by ya?" Scout called. Pyro turned his head, waved and nodded. "Go on, he may look scary, but he won't kill ya."

"Okay..." Zero said. She slowly made her way to Pyro and stopped when he looked at her. "H... hi." She said quietly.

"Mmph! Mmff mmph mff, mmph?" He asked.

"Excuse me?" Asked Zero. She didn't understand a word the fire bug said.

"Mike! She can't understand ya, so take ya mask off!" Called Scout. "I'll let ya know if anyone's coming."

Pyro let out a muffled sigh, brought his hands to his mask and lifted it off, revealing his face to Zero. He had a bob of messy, black hair, bright green eyes and had a scar running across his face.

"Sorry. What I said was, Nathan found you, huh?"

"Uh, ye. Almost hit me with his baseball. But found me and brought me here." Zero said smiling.

"Hey, I didn't know you were there." Scout protested. "And besides, if it hadn't landed by ya, I wouldn't have found ya."

"You have a point." She said. She looked at Pyro's suit, and shrugged.

"What's wrong?" Michael asked.

"Nothing, I just, uh, feel like I've seen something like that before."

"What, my suit?"

Zero nodded. "It, uh, don't matter. Forget I said anything."

"O…K. Nathan, while missy here was creeping me out a little,"

"Sorry."

"Don't stress 'bout it. Anyway, a thought just came to my head. And it's important." Said Pyro. Scout came over with two bowls of cereal and handed one to Zero.

"There ya go. Cornflakes, you do like cornflakes… right?"

Zero shrugged and took a mouthful, slowly chewed it, and gave a big nod.

"Good. What's up Mike?"

"Well let's recap: you've brought a girl to the base, she looks tired and unwell and lost, and guess what day it is?"

"Monday."

"Exactly, and what happens on a Monday?"

"We battle and kick Blu's ass, that's wh- Oh... we battle." Scout looked at Zero, who was slowly eating her cereal. "Oops."

"Not 'oops'. You've screwed up on that part. Let's see, we're going out to battle in an hour and a half. Zero has yet to meet the rest of the team-"

"Except Sniper and Engineer," Zero interrupted. "I've met them."

"Okay, except them. But she's still gotta meet Solly, who is going to rip her head off, there's a chance Helen will see her through the camera's, and she's gonna be alone in the top levels of the base with nothing to do." Pyro said. Scout gave a blank stare at his friend.

"What are you going to do?"

"Um..."

Pyro was right with all of those things; Soldier was going to scare Zero half to death; Helen, the Administrator, would see her, send Miss Pauling to the base to take her away, then probably kill her somewhere, not to mention she'd probably kill him too; and Zero was going to be all alone, with nothing to stop her from getting scared, run out the base to find him and then get herself blown to bits.

"Aw, crap."


	4. Chapter 4  Where to keep her

**A/N: Okay! I have done as commanded and uploaded. Happy? Only joking, you know I love you guys. And to everyone else who's reading... I'm glad/hoping that you're enjoying it!**

**(EDIT: This chapter has been edited. Like the last chapter, I have only tweaked with the wording and sorted out the spelling and grammar!)**

**Disclaimer: Don't own TF2, highly doubt I ever will. I don't even own a copy of the game. I only own my OC and the storyline.**

"Dude, everyone's coming. You wanna put your mask on?" Scout asked.

"Ye, but don't blame me if Zero can't understand what I say." Michael said.

"That's okay," Zero said as the mask was put on and Mike turned into Pyro again. She then looked up at Scout.

"Damn, that mask gives me the jitters. Scout, you didn't tell me you were a mercenary?" Scout looked at her with wide eyes.

"How the hell did ya figure that out?" He asked.

"Well your little conversation with Pyro about battle and kicking Blu's ass, Scout being your class name, Pyro being his. Soldier, Sniper, Engineer. It kind of adds up for me. Also I'm guessing Blu are you enemies?"

"Yeah… uh, wow, you don't know what the stars are, but you know a bit about war."

"Well, I know more than that. But I don't want to bore you to death."

"How…?"

"Don't ask me. I just know." She smiled at him. He smiled back. Then he asked her a question that she didn't expect him to ask;

"Zero, if ya don't mind me askin', can you fight?"

"What?" She asked him.

"Mmph?" Pyro asked.

"Can ya fight? You know, grab a gun, shoot someone's brains out, and beat 'em to death with a bat. That kinda thing."

"Um... Well," She said. "I... guess I can... I'm not sure."

"Oh, well then that's a start. I was just thinking that if you could fight then you could tag wit' someone, and help 'em or somethin'." He said. Pyro face palmed.

"Mmph mf mmphmmph mff mff mmph mff mff?" Pyro asked.

"Yes, I do realize dat she don't look well, but what else is there ta do? She can't just stay up here all day."

Zero thought for a moment. 'Fighting and guns. Why does it ring a lot of bells?'

"Have you got a target area?"

"Yeah, in da training area. Why?"

"Well I could hang there for a while? I'll find something to occupy myself there."

"Hang where?" A voice said Zero, Scout and Pyro turned their heads to the door. There stood 3 men, one of which was Sniper. The other two were strangers to the girl.

One was big, very big and mean looking so Zero assumed that he was Heavy, only because the word 'heavy' made her think that his size meant he was.

The other just scared her; tall, wearing a shirt and what looked like a lab coat (Zero guessed this because it was the only coat she'd seen... ever), red rubber gloves and he had blackish hair, greying at the ears, and wore glasses.

"H...hey, Doc. Um... Met Zero?" Scout asked. Zero noticed the change in his voice; he'd gone from confident and loud to shaky and quiet.

"No, and neither haz anyone elze." He said.

"Actually, Sniper and Engie have. And Pyro."

Medic shrugged. "Just wait until Soldier getz here. You know what he'll do. Why did you bring her here anyway?"

Scout looked at Zero, who had her head down at the table and a worried look on her face. She looked back at him, and he could see that she was becoming scared. Scout turned back to Medic.

"Look at her, Doc. She's ill, tired and scared. And she hurt herself pretty badly. I wasn't going to leave her out there. She'd die."

Medic looked at the girl, and she slowly moved her head to look at him. He walked over and crouched down so he was face to face with her.

"Hm..." He said. His eyes caught sight on her neck. He gently placed his hands on her face and tilted her head so he could get a better look.

"Have you seen thiz? Scout, come here." Scout, Sniper and Pyro all gather around Zero, wanting to know what Medic was curious about.

"Mmph mmph mff mmf mf mmph mmff!" Pyro said.

Zero didn't understand what he said, but she wasn't going to complain. It was the masks fault after all. She looked a Scout, who knew she wanted him to translate for her.

"He said you've got a scar on your neck."

"Oh!" Zero exclaimed. "You know, that isn't the only scar I've got. I don't know why you're fascinated with that one."

The men looked at her, even Heavy had joined them. "What does leetle girl mean?" He asked.

"Well, I've got plenty on my arms and legs, I have a huge scar going across my front and I think a few little scars on my back. I might have one hidden underneath my hair as well, but I'm not sure."

The men looked at her, Sniper the most. He had a sad and worried look on his face. "What the hell did they do to ya?"

Zero looked down at the floor and sighed. "See that's the problem. I don't know, because I don't remember."

"What do ya mean? How can ya not remember if you've been beaten half to death." Scout asked.

"The same way I can't remember my name, I guess. I... I think that after every test, the test subject has her memory wiped. But they keep some stuff in your mind. Like how to do basic maths and reading."

"'Her'? What 'bout the boys?" Sniper asked.

"Well, when I was escaping, I didn't see any male test subjects. Only girls. But most of them looked older then me."

"Why da hell do they only have gi-" Started Scout but he was interrupted.

"MAGGOTS! Stop the gossiping and prepare for battle! I will not tolerate losing to those Blu's, AGAIN!"

When she saw the figure, she panicked, through her bowl at the door, watching it smash and the milk running down the surface, and covered her ears. She didn't like being caught off guard, especially by loud noises, and it was even louder now that the person doing the shouting was closer.

Soldier stood in the door way. Heavy, Medic and Sniper turned around to face Soldier, while Scout and Pyro tried to calm Zero down.

"Soldier scared leetle girl!" Heavy shouted over Zero's screams.

"Well she shouldn't even be here in the first place." Solder shouted back.

After about 10 minutes, Engineer walked in and looked at what was happening; Zero was still screaming, Pyro and Scout desperately trying to calm her down, Soldier and Heavy were having an argument and Sniper and Medic where trying to stop them. Engie stood in the middle of Heavy and Soldier's argument and said,

"Will you two shut up? Arguing isn't going to help little lady over there calm down!"

After the men had shut up, Engie rushed over to Zero. He put a hand on her shoulder and bent down to her level. She looked at him with teary eyes. He gave her a soft smile.

"Hey... he isn't gonna hurt you. He's just a little touchy with woman being here."

"But... he sc... he scares... me."

"I know. But there's nothing to be scared of. No one here is going to hurt you. I promise."

Zero looked at him, then at Soldier. She nodded and wiped her tears. "O... Okay."

"Damn, hard hat. You really know how ta deal with 'dis kinda thing, don't ya." Scout said. Engie just smiled.

After the shouting incident, the group gathered in the Intel room to figure out what they should do with Zero.

"Um..." Scout mumbled.

"Mmph?" Pyro asked

"Nothing, just outta ideas. Anyone else got anything?"

Everyone shook there heads. Scout sighed and said,

"So, outta da half hour we've been here thinking, we've only come up wit' 2 ideas?"

"And even then, it's obvious what plan iz best." Medic said.

"Ye, well the Sheila will be safe there, right?" Sniper asked.

Zero sat on her chair in the corner, looking down. She stared at her locket in her hands and sighed. 'The only thing I know is kill, scream, die. Why can't I know anything else? Why were those morons picky about what I should know? She thought. I wonder if...'

Zero slowly stood up, staying in place. She then put one foot in front of the other slowly and quietly.

"Sit." Soldier said. Zero sighed and did as she was told.

"Stay. Put. There." Demoman said. He had joined the group during breakfast.

Scout smirked. And Pyro giggled.

"What's so funny?" Zero asked. Nobody answered her so she asked again. "Hello? Fellas? What's so funny?"

"It appears the drunk thinks it is funny to treat you like a dog, mon chere." Someone whispered. Zero jumped and squealed. She tried to get up but was pushed down by an invisible force.

"Get off me!" She screamed. Scouts head snapped in her direction.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"Oh, calm down boy. I will not hurt her." The voice said.

"Spy, get the hell off her!" Scout said as he stomped over to Zero.

He pushed the air and there was a thud by the wall. Zero turned her head and saw a tall man in a red suit materialize in front of her. He was wearing a mask that only showed his eyes and mouth.

"Jeez, don't scare her like dat. Did ya not hear her screaming fit earlier?"

"Mmph mff mph mmf mmf mmph mph mmmphmph mff!" Exclaimed Pyro. Zero looked at Scout.

"He said 'I think it was more than a screaming fit!'." He told her. Zero looked back at Pyro and raised an eyebrow. Pyro just laughed. "He's only messin' wit' ya." Scout said and turned back to Spy. "Seriously though, did ya?"

"Oui and I think the Blu's might have as well." Spy answered. He turned to Zero. "I apologize for scaring you."

"It's okay, but please don't do it again." Zero said. She got up from her chair and walked over to the men. "So... where am I going?"

"Training area. Safer for leetle girl." Heavy told her.

"Oh, well I'll go now then. It'll give you guy's time to get ready. You know, get your guns loaded, get more ammo, and get into positions. Especially you. You probably take forever." Zero said pointing to Sniper.

"Oi, don't get cocky!" He said. Zero smirked and said,

"I'm not getting cocky!"

"Yes you are."

"No I'm not."

"Yes you are!"

While Scout rushed over to shut Zero up, something caught Spy's eyes. He picked up the golden locket that was on the floor and stared at it. He turned it over and looked at the diamond in the centre, surrounded by patterns, engraved into the metal.

His eyes widened in disbelief. "Non," He whispered to himself.

'It can't be... Non, it's impossible… She's supposed to be…'

"Zero, where's your necklace that you had on?" Engie asked.

"Huh?" Zero looked down and touched her neck. "Oh, I've dropped it. Damn. Hey, has anyone seen my locket?" She asked.

Everyone shrugged and mumbled. Spy took the opportunity and walked over to Zero.

"I believe this is yours," He said as he handed her the locket.

"Oh, great you found it. Thanks Spy!" She said as she clipped it around her neck. He smiled at her.

A voice then echoed around the room, making Zero jump and grabbed onto Scouts arm. "Mission begins in 10 minutes!"

"Aw, crap." Scout said.

"Who was that?" Zero asked him.

"It doesn't matter right now. Come on; let's get ya to the training area." He then took her hand and pulled her in the direction of the area.

"See you later, guys. Have fun." She called back. "How long am I going to in there?"

"Uh..." He started. 'Long...'

"Uh...?"

"Not very long. But don't come outta there until I come and get ya, ok. I don't want ya getting killed."

"Okay."

When they reached the training area, Scout sat Zero down on a crate and handed her a box.

"Here. You got a sandwich, a chocolate bar and a can of pop in there. And if ya get bored..." He pulled out a large object from his bag.

"Read this. I got it from the living room bookshelf. Don't know why we have it, but it might be nice for you ta read."

Zero read the title of the book out loud. "32 fairy tales for kids?"

"It was the first thing I picked up!" Scout protested. "Nothing' to do wit' me. Solly probably reads it."

Zero laughed. "Thanks." The door opened and Demoman walked in.

"Stop with the jabbering and get your ass up here. We've got 5 minutes." He then walked off.

"You better go, before Solly eventually comes down here and drags you away." Zero laughed.

Scout smiled. "Yeah, but you sure you'll be alright by yourself?"

"Scout I'll be fine. Trust me. And besides, you remember earlier when you asked me if I could fight?"

"Yeah..."

"I'll find a gun and do some target practise. And don't worry; I know how to use one." She said as she pointed to the targets on the other side of the room. Scout walked towards the door.

"Alright. Just don't hurt yourself, ok? And don't fall over or ya might split your knee again." He laughed.

"Shut up and go kill those Blu's already! Good luck!" Zero said. Scout walked out the room and closed the door.

'Let's hope she does as she told. Because if she doesn't she's dead.' He thought as he went to join his team mates.


	5. Chapter 5  Training area

**A/N: Ok! I'm gonna say this now. I am going to try and update the story either every Friday or every Saturday. Just thought I'd tell you.**

**(EDIT: This chapter has been edited. Like the last chapter, I have only tweaked with the wording and sorted out the spelling and grammar!)**

**Disclaimer: Don't own TF2. I'm now going to beg my mother if she could get it for me. I'm getting impatient. **

Zero looked at the can of pop she held in her hands. 'How in god's name do you open this thing?' She thought.

She turned it around in her hands, looking for a cap she could screw off, but there wasn't one. All there was a tag on top of the can. She looked at it.

"Maybe...?"

Zero put one of her nails underneath the tag and lifted it. The can fizzed and Zero closed her eyes, expecting to get the liquid that was inside all over her.

Nothing happened though, and when she pushed the tag down harder, the can opened. Zero opened one eye and stared at the can. She brought it to her lips and took a sip. It tasted sweet and bubbly, and she loved it. She took another big gulp and smiled.

"Oh. My. God, that was totally worth the trouble," She said to herself. She placed the can beside her and picked up the book Scout had given her. She looked in the index section to choose what story to read next.

"_Goldilocks and the three bears_, read it. _Cinderella_, don't think so. _The little mermaid_, no. _The brave tin soldier_?" Zero looked at what page it was on and turned to it. She began to read the story, but sighed when she got through the first 5 sentences.

'I can't be bothered reading now. I've been reading all morning,' she thought.

Zero looked at the clock that hung on the wall. 1 o'clock. She had been reading for more than 3 hours. Zero sighed, placed the book beside her and picked up her pop. She stared into space for a while, before she took a sip and placed the can back on top of the book, using it as a coaster.

She then stood up, and started to wander. She had finished her sandwich ages ago, and didn't want to eat the chocolate in case she got hungry later.

'Scout told me I wasn't gonna be here long, but it's been forever. I need something to do... desperately,'

Zero looked around, searching for something to interest her. Her eyes caught sight of some cardboard figures stuffed in a corner. She walked over a picked one up, and then burst out laughing.

"Ha-ha! It's Spy!" She picked up another and continued to laugh. "And Pyro, and Solly, and Sniper, and..."

She looked at the fourth figure. "Scout?" She said. It wasn't Nathan, Red's Scout, but looked like him. He was wearing the exact same uniform as him too, but his t-shirt was blue. Nathan's was red.

Zero looked at the other figures. They were blue too. It was then she realized what they were.

'They must be the Blu team,' she thought. 'Weird, they look the same as the Red team.'

She shrugged.'Target practise for me!'

Zero placed the figures in different places, picked up the pistol that was placed in the corner of the room, along with the multiple ammo clips, and began shooting.

The Administrator looked at the screens in front of her. She watched the young girl in the training area shoot the targets with perfect aim, getting a head shot once in a while.

She had seen Scout bring her in, seen her run around in the early hours of the morning, seen her screaming fit, seen her staring at her locket and getting scared to death by Spy, and now she was watching her expertly shoot a pistol.

"Fascinating, isn't it Miss Pauling?" She asked her assistant.

"Yes, M'am. But what are you going to do about the situation? Would you like me to go and get her for you?" Miss Pauling asked, also watching the girl.

The older woman stared at the young girl in amusement. She had given up with the pistol and found a wooden bat instead, and was now attacking the target that looked like a Blu Heavy.

She gave a quiet, gentle laugh when the girl got attacked by one of the targets that had fallen on her.

"Not just yet. I want to see what else she can do. She may be of use to us, and the Red team."

"Excuse me, M'am? I don't seem to follow."

"The Red team have lost every battle for the past 3 weeks, Miss Pauling. But here is a girl can shoot a gun, hit multiple targets, reload and continue in under, approximately, 10 - 20 seconds," She said quietly.

Miss Pauling heard what she said and was starting to realize what her boss was getting at.

"M'am, are you saying that... you're thinking of making the girl a member of Red?" Miss Pauling asked with confusion.

"That's exactly what I'm saying. And I don't see why it can't be done."

"But, M'am, do you really think it's necessary? I mean she is just a girl."

"Miss Pauling, I can tell just from looking at her face that she's roughly about the same age as most of the Scout's that have been hired. If not she may be just a little younger, defiantly over 16. That alone is good enough for me. Then we get to see her combat skills, and I can see she is quite the expert with a bat…" The Admin said, and pointed to Zero, who was now attacking a tower of crates which she had built.

"But I want to see what else she can do first, so leave her with the men for a couple of days," She took a puff of her cigarette. "Let's see if she'll disobey her saviour's orders, or if she's a good little school girl and stays put."

Miss Pauling looked at the older woman in disbelief. 'If this happens, the poor girl's going to get killed out there_._'She thought.

"Yes, M'am."

"Fuck!" Scout shouted as he ran out of respawn... again. He was so close to getting the Blu's Intel, but ultimately failed when he ran straight into a sentry.

Again.

"Stupid Engineers and their stupid sentry crap," He mumbled. He looked at Pyro, who had just respawned as well. "Hey Mumbles, how long we got 'till ceasefire?"

Pyro shrugged. "Mmph mmph, mpf mpfmph."

"Ten minutes!" Scout shouted. "Damn, I don't think toots can wait any longer. For all I know she could be freaking out in 'dere."

"Mmph mphh mff mffmph mff."

"Ye, well she could be! And if she is your helpin' me calm her do-" Scout was interrupted.

"ALERT! The enemy has taken out intelligence," Boomed the Admin's voice.

"Aw, crap. Again?" Said Scout, and ran off to find the enemy.

It didn't take long until he ran into his counterpart. Who had a briefcase on his back. Red's briefcase. For about the 5th time that day.

"Why don't ya give up? Ya know we're gonna win," Said the Blu Scout.

"Why don't ya stop being a wuss?" Scout said, blabbing out the first insult that popped into his mind. His counterpart took a couple steps back, and said,

"I ain't a wuss!"

"Yeah, says da one who cries's at rainbows!"

"Who the fuck told ya that? It ain't true."

"Yeah, sure it ain't."

The Blu Scout growled, and then smirked.

"What da hell are ya smirking for?" Scout asked.

"You wanna know who da best one outta both of us are?" He said, still stepping back. But Scout didn't notice.

"I already know, you moron. But go on, give me your opinion."

"Me!" The Blu Scout said, and the two stepped forward, face to face.

"Give me one good reason."

"Well, let's put it this way… I ain't a virgin like you!" The Blu grabbed the front of Scout's cap and pulled it down, dragging his head towards the floor. He ran of laughing and giggling.

Scout went to chase him, but was held back. He didn't have to turn around to know who was pulling him back.

"Crap," He mumbled, as he felt a sharp pain in his back. His body collapsed to the floor, completely lifeless. The Blu Scout came back from around the corner and looked at his team mate.

"Dude, seriously? He was mine," Blu Scout shouted.

"Daniel, if you stood there any longer chatting, I would have guessed you were best friends with the boy," The Blu Spy said as he took his cigarette case out of his pocket.

"Shut up, Spy," Said Blu Scout, or Daniel, and he ran off out of the RED base and into his own.

"Nathan! How many times have I told you, don't gossip with the enemy!" Soldier shouted. He was angry that Reds had lost the battle... again.

"Alright! Calm da hell down, it wasn't my fault. He started it and then their damn Spy backstabbed me! What was I menna do, huh?" Scout shouted back.

Everyone let out a frustrated groan. Everyone, except Pyro and Engie. They didn't mind.

"Maybe shoot the boy when you had zhe chance..." Mumbled Spy

"For god's sake, leave me alone!" Scout said.

"Look, iz there any point arguing about it now?" Medic asked, even though he was annoyed at Scout too.

"Leetle girl gets upset if she hears shouting," Heavy said.

"Shit, Zero! I forgot 'bout her!" Scout said.

He ran to the training area and opened the door. "Hey toots, I'm back. Did ya find something ta..." He stopped. "What the hell?"

Scout stood in the doorway, eyes wide.

"Scout, what's wrong?" Sniper asked as he joined him in the doorway. When he saw what Scout was looking at, his eyes widened too.

The floor was covered in cardboard pieces and used bullets. Zero was lying on a couple of large crates, holding a bat in one hand, curled up in a ball, sleeping. A pistol lay by her feet.

"Holy crap," Was all that Scout could say. "Hey, guys, come here. But be quiet. I don't want her to wake up."

"Scout! What do you mean you don't want her- oh..." Soldier suddenly went into a whisper.

Everyone gathered in the room and stared. Engie was the first to ask the question on everyone's mind,

"Did... she do this?"

"Well obviously! She was the only one in here," Said Scout.

"Mmph mphff mpf mff mmphf. Mmph mmf," Said Pyro.

"Ye, she was right. She can fight."

Zero stirred in her sleep. Sniper walked over to her and picked her up. "Well the sheila can't sleep 'ere. I'll go put her to bed."

"I'll help ya." Said Scout, and he followed Sniper to the living quarters. They placed Zero on her bed and put the covers over her, and she immediately reacted by wrapping herself up in them and shoving her face in the pillow.

When they exited the room, Demoman walked up to them.

"Did the lass really destroy those targets?" He asked.

"Must've, since no one else was with her," Sniper said.

"She did say she thought she could fight, but I didn't expect that," Scout said. "Damn... I have ta say, she's pretty good with a gun. What do ya think she'll do if she gets any other weapons?"

"I dunno, mate. But let's talk 'bout it when she wakes up."

Zero sat up in bed and stretched. "Wha...? How did I get in here?" She looked at the clock that was on the desk.

"7.30 p.m? I must've fallen asleep in the training area. I wonder who brought me in," She said to herself. She got out of bed and exited the room. When she reached the stairs, she could hear mumbling.

'I wonder what everyone's talking about...'She thought. When she got downstairs, someone shouted and made her jump.

"This is the last time I want to have this conversation with you! DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?"

"Solly, all ya said was 'Stop gossiping with that maggot. You're making us lose.' I exactly don't call 'dat a conversation."

"Solly, give the boy a break."

"Don't, he'll only start shouting at you."

"I CAN STILL HEAR YOU, MAGGOTS!"

Zero walked over to the kitchen and found everyone sitting at the table, eating dinner. Pyro was the first to notice she was in the doorway. Zero brought her finger to her lips and made a quiet 'shh' sound. She then sneaked up behind Soldier, who was facing away from her.

She slammed her hands on his shoulders and screamed,

"WHAT ARE YOU SHOUTING FOR, MAGGOT!"

Everyone looked at Zero, and tried not to burst out laughing.

"Hey, sleepyhead," Scout said. Zero looked at him and smiled. She then looked back to Soldier.

"That's how you sound like," She said. "I just thought you'd want to know."

She then faced everyone else. "Lost, huh?"

Engie nodded. "Yep, for the 24th time in a row."

"Ouch. Well you can always try again tomorrow," She smiled.

And for some reason, everyone looked at her, like they were hypnotized. She had a sweet smile that made everyone relax for a while.

She walked over to Scout and sat by him. Medic got up and handed her a plate of food. "Thanks. So… tell me what happened"

Everyone looked at Scout, who stared at his food. "Oh..." Zero said.

She shoved a forkful of food into her mouth, feeling the awkwardness at the table. That is, until Demoman started to laugh.

"I'm gonna be the one who asks the lass, then?" He said.

"Ask me what?" Zero asked.

"About what ye did, in the training room. We found you there, sleeping. All worn out."

"And the room was a wreck." Spy said.

"Did ya really shoot all those targets, toots? They were demolished." Scout asked.

"Uh..." Zero mumbled. "I just... got bored. I found those targets shoved in a corner, and thought I would see if I actually could shoot a gun."

"Ye, about that," Said Sniper. "Where did you find the pistol?"

"In the corner, it was the only gun I could find. There was plenty of ammo though."

"And then you used a bat...?"

"Yep. Why, did I do something bad?" She asked sadly.

"No, we're just a bit shocked. That's all," Engie said.

"Shocked about what?"

"That leetle baby can fire gun." Heavy said.

Zero looked at everyone, and then laughed. "Of course I can fire a gun, you idiots! What gave you the idea that I couldn't?"

Everyone shrugged. "Okay then," Said Zero, and she got up from her seat. "I'll be in the living room if you want me."

She returned 5 seconds later and said, "And I am NOT a baby!"

Everyone had gone to their bedrooms for the night, leaving only Scout, Spy and Zero in the living room. They were watching a movie, but Scout and Zero had fallen asleep halfway through.

Her head was on his shoulder, and his head lay on the arm of the sofa. Spy looked at them and smiled. He got up and picked up the spare blanket that was by the bookcase. He placed it over the sleeping youngsters.

He then moved Zero's short, brown hair out of her face and placed a hand on her cheek.

"Goodnight, mon enfant." He whispered.

He then proceeded to his bedroom and went to bed.


	6. Chapter 6  More injuries and curiosity

**A/N: Yay! Chapter 6 is up! Damn, it was hard. Anyways, enjoy!**

**(EDIT: This chapter has been edited. Like the last chapter, I have only tweaked with the wording and sorted out the spelling and grammar!)**

**Disclaimer: Don't own TF2... only Zero... so yeah.**

Scout took a deep breath and opened his eyes. He wasn't in his room which, to him, was weird. But he didn't care because he had woken up in a strangely good mood.

He sat up on the couch and stretched his arms out. He adjusted his hat, looked down at Zero, who sleeping beside him, and gave his cheek a scratch...

'Wait, what?' He suddenly thought

Scout looked back down and saw Zero lying right next to him, still sleeping. Her left arm was wrapped firmly around his body while her right arm was underneath her head, like a pillow.

He watched as she snuggled closer to him, placing her head on his chest. She squeezed him tight and shivered.

Scout blushed… but smiled. "Scared, huh?" He whispered.

She didn't move, only continued to shiver. "It's alright. I got ya," He said and looked at his watch. "Damn, 6.30."

He looked back at Zero and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Zero, Come on, we gotta get up."

She didn't open her eyes.

"Zero, Hello?" Scout looked at her, confused. Every time he called her name, she tightened her grip on him. Her eyes started to scrunch up and her lip began to quiver.

"Zero? Are you... okay?" He said as he slowly sat up.

"Help... me," Zero whispered from her dream. "No... Get... Get off!"

She shifted about and gave her leg a kick, hitting Scout in his shin and then in his stomach when she punched the air.

Scout shot up. "Zero wake up! Your havin' a nightmare!"

She let out a short scream. Scout gently lifted her up by the shoulders and shook her slightly. She twisted out of his grip and fell off the sofa. Zero's eyes shot open and she bolted upright. She looked at Scout who had a worried look on his face.

"Huh? I..." She looked down, and then back to Scout. She checked her sides, let out a huge sigh and fell back. "Am I dead? I'm fine, aren't I? No one stabbed me, did they?"

"N…o. Who made ya scared?" He asked.

"What? Oh, a big guy. Pushed me in a corner, grabbed a kitchen knife and stabbed me in the side. No biggie."

"No biggie? You dreamt 'dat someone stabbed ya! How can 'dat not be a biggie?"

"Because I've had the same dream before," Zero said, shrugging her shoulders.

Scout let out a sigh. He looked at Zero, who was still on the floor, and laughed. "You know, you were sleeping an' cuddling me like a damn teddy bear."

"I... I was?" Zero blushed, a bright red. "Uh..." She looked at her fingers, trying to avoid eye contact. "I... uh... Sorry..."

"Don't matter. You were scared, it's fine."

Zero blushed even more. "What time is it?" She asked.

"6.30 am."

"What time have you got to go and murder people while avoiding being killed yourself?"

Scout laughed. "9.30."

"Then why the hell are we up? I'm going to bed."

"Yeah me too, Oh, by 'da way, the alarms are gonna go off at 7.45. Don't scream, okay?"

"Yeah, yeah," Said Zero as she walked towards the door. "Oh, and please don't tell anyone about the cuddling thing."

"You got it," Scout answered from the couch and he quickly went back to sleep.

Zero walked upstairs and to her room. When she passed Soldiers room, she tried her best not to laugh. She could hear him snoring, even louder then Heavy. She ran silently into her room and shut the door. She leaned against it and let out a quiet giggle.

As she made her way to her bed, something caught her eye. On the mirror was a note written on a little piece of paper. Zero looked at it and tried to read the handwriting. It was curvy, neat and small but she managed.

_Zero,_

_I have put some of Scout's spare clothes in your wardrobe so you have a clean outfit._

_Also, you might want to have a shower before everyone wakes up. I have left a bottle of shampoo on your dresser. _

_I'll see you at breakfast._

_Spy_

"Ok? That's not... creepy at all." Zero mumbled. "He might be right though, I guess I should take a shower." She looked at the clock on the desk.

6.45.

She had an hour before the alarms would wake everyone up, plenty of time to have a shower. She looked in the mirror. Her hair was all tangled and greasy and dirt caked her face. Yep she definitely needed one.

Zero grabbed some clothes from the wardrobe and picked up the bottle of shampoo. She exited the room and proceeded back downstairs.

It took her a while to find the shower room, but once she did she ran inside and locked the door. She placed the things on the bench and wandered around the room. There were 9 lockers, 9 showers and 2 benches, a simple room and nothing there to hurt her.

At 8.00, Zero walked into the kitchen and caught everyone's attention. She was wearing Scout's usual red top, a pair of black tracksuit bottoms and the matching jacket, which she had tied around her waist, and white trainers. Her hair was still damp, but she had an un-amused look on her face.

Everyone could see why; her right eye was red and teary, she had a bruise on her forehead and had a nosebleed. It looked as if she had been beaten up and cried. Spy rushed over to her and frowned.

"What happened in there?" He asked.

"I got shampoo in my eyes, slipped and smashed my face into the floor," She sniffed. "Oh, and I walked into the side of a locker."

Medic laughed and walked over. "It seems zat everything iz out to hurt you. Come on, letz sort your nose out, shall we?" He asked. Zero nodded and let him tip her head back.

"Ow..." She mumbled as she followed Medic to the Infirmary.

"The Sheila's good wit' a gun," Sniper said. "But useless at doin' a simple task, like takin' a shower."

Everyone let out a light laugh.

"How did she manage that?" Spy said while shaking his head slightly.

"Yeah, well lets hope it don't happen aga-" Started Scout, before he was cut off.

"OW! OW! OW! Watch it doc, you're killing me here!" Zero shouted.

"Just stop moving, you'll be alright!" Engie called.

"Shut up!" She called back. Everyone just smiled when she walked back in with Medic guiding her by the shoulders. Her head was still tilted back and she just kept staring at Medic. "It hurts," She mumbled.

"Mmph mmff mffph!" Said Pyro. Zero kept quiet and tried to look at Scout.

"He said 'It's gonna hurt!'" Scout said.

"Okay, stop talking about my nose now... every time you mention it, it hurts." She mumbled. Zero sat down next to Sniper, who was drinking something hot. It smelled, strong and different.

"What are you drinking?" She asked.

"Coffee," He said, knowing what was going to be said next.

"What's coffee?"

"A drink. You want some?"

"Uh... does it taste nice?"

"To me, yes."

"Sure, why not."

Sniper got up and went to the kitchen side of the room. When he returned, he was holding a white mug full of coffee, and a towel. He handed the mug to Zero who took it from him cautiously. She stared at the contents of it and turned to Sniper.

"What does it taste like?" She asked. Sniper shrugged and sat down. "Okay. Why have you got a towel?"

"Just in case," He said. "Be careful, it's hot. An' we don't want you burnin' yourself."

Zero turned to Spy, who smiled at her. She shrugged and brought the mug to her lips. She took a gulp of it and put the mug down. She immediately spat it back out and coughed while everyone burst out laughing.

"What the hell! That's disgusting!"

Sniper laughed as he patted her back. "I knew it. That's what the towel is for!"

"There's... something... wrong... with... you," She said, choking after each word.

Scout smiled and walked to the fridge. He pulled out a can of pop and handed it to Zero. She grabbed it from him and immediately opened it. She took a couple of big gulps and calmed down.

"Better?" He asked. Zero nodded and gave a thankful smile. "'Dat might just be da funniest thing I've ever seen."

"It wasn't that funny." Zero said.

"Ye, but did ya see ya face? It was hilarious." He said laughing.

"Shut up." Zero shouted.

At 9.15, Scout walked Zero to the training area again. He handed her a box with the sandwich, chocolate and pop. But Soldier then came in and interrupted their little conversation.

Scout was about to leave when he reached in his pocket and pulled out his baseball.

"Here. Amuse yourself." He said as he placed it in Zero's hand. "I gotta go, alright. But I'm gonna say 'da same thing as yesterday; don't leave 'dis room. Okay?"

Zero nodded and sat on the crates, bouncing the ball on the floor and failing to catch it. Scout smirked as he watched her run after it. She looked at him and said,

"Are you just gonna stand there all day? Go on!"

"Mission begins in 5 minutes!" A voice said, booming through the speakers placed randomly around the building. Zero and Scout looked at each other and she smiled.

"You heard the lady! Go!" She said.

"Alright, I'm going. I'm going." Scout said as he left the room.

"Good luck!" Called Zero and she shut the door. "Now, what to do today?"

She picked up the book that was on the crates the previous day and began reading.

The next couple of days were the same. Zero would wake up, meet Pyro and Scout downstairs and have breakfast, have a laugh with the rest of the team when they came to get their food and then when they had to go to battle, she'd stay in the training area. She would then find something to amuse herself, even if it meant reading the same book 13 times or bouncing a ball for half an hour.

On Thursday, though, Zero got bored… really, really bored.

She stopped reading her book and sighed.

'I need a new book, now.' She thought. She looked at the clock. '2.30... 3 hours until the guys come back.'

She walked around the room, searching for something new to do. Her eyes focused on the door.

'Maybe I could just... No, Scout would be upset... But I'm really bored... But what if they catch me?' She thought, having a war with herself.

If she left the training area, she could go and get another book and then come back. Nobody would suspect a thing if she just left everything alone.

But if she did leave and anyone saw her, they'd be upset with her, or worse... angry.

Eventually, boredom and curiosity got the best of her. She walked up to the door and opened it. She poked her head out and searched the corridor for any of the men. When she saw it was safe, she walked out.

'Ok, really quickly. Grab a book then run back.' She thought. 'Oh god, I hope no one catches me... Especially not Scout, or Spy, or Medic...'

Zero stopped. She shook her head and was about to go back inside the training area when she heard distant shouting. Her curiosity finally completely took over and she slowly walked in the direction of the noise.

"I wonder what's going on," She whispered.


	7. Chapter 7  Annoyence and Cupcakes?

**A/n: Oh my god! I am so sorry I didn't upload this last week! I was really busy with school and other crap that didn't have time to... :( But I promise everything is going back to normal now! I'm going to try my very best to upload each week.**

**(EDIT: This chapter has been edited. Like the last chapter, I have only tweaked with the wording and sorted out the spelling and grammar!)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own TF2!**

Zero tried to keep as quiet as possible while she walked around the RED base.

The shouting had become a lot louder since she went down to the lower levels of the building. She wasn't as scared as normal because she had gotten used to Soldier's shouting, but she could tell that there were a more than few voices shouting.

And, once in a while, screaming in pain.

As Zero explored, she found herself heading towards the Intel room.

'Huh, I can't hear any shouting coming from in there... I wonder where it is.'She thought.

Zero was about to turn around when she heard gunshots behind her. She panicked, ran straight into the room and leaned against the wall.

"Aw, crap." She mumbled.

Zero peeked around the corner to check if anyone was coming, but all she heard was more shooting and the screams of fully grown men. Zero quickly moved back when a shadow appeared, and she looked around the room for a place to hide.

'Enemy or not, no one can know I'm here.'She thought.

As she heard the stomping of people approach the area outside of the room, she tried her best not to let her fear take over.

'Oh jeez, I knew this was a bad idea!'

Her eyes then focused on the briefcase that was on the desk opposite her and she stared at it in confusion.

"That was never there before," She mumbled.

As she neared the desk, more shouting came from outside the room, but she didn't take any notice.

Zero quietly ran over to the desk and was about to pick up the case to inspect it, when she heard fast footsteps heading her way.

"Crap, crap, crap..." She mumbled to herself as she looked for a place to hide.

She looked down and had an idea. She slid underneath the desk and curled up into a ball to make sure her feet didn't stick out, which would give away her hiding spot.

A couple of seconds later, someone entered the room. Zero could only see the person's feet, but since they were wearing a pair of black trainers with white stripes, she could tell it was a Scout. She had only seen Nathan wearing trainers, because everyone else wore boots.

Her only problem was she couldn't tell if it was Nathan, or Blu's Scout.

"Morons," Said the Scout. "Jeez, they're not even tryin'."

'What is this guy on about?' Zero thought.

The Scout then picked up the briefcase and slung it over his shoulder.

"ALERT! THE ENEMEY HAS TAKEN OUR INTELLIGENCE!" The Administrator shouted. The Scout let out a laugh.

"Yeah, like I do every freakin' day!" He said. He walked casually towards the other end of the room.

'Blu, definitely Blu, Nathan doesn't act like that at all.' She thought.

Zero didn't move from underneath the desk until the Scouts footsteps were no longer heard. She quickly slid out and rolled across the floor, towards the wall.

She got up and quickly leaned against it. She looked around the entrance to the room, checking to see if the coast was clear.

'I wonder where that guy went...'Zero thought as she exited the Intel room and ran quietly down the corridor, following the other person.

Zero sat in the Infirmary while Medic stitched up the cut on her arm. Scout and Spy sat next to her, and Soldier stood in front of them. She just looked at the floor, regretting what she had done earlier.

"What did we tell you?" Asked Soldier. Zero didn't answer him. "Well?"

"'Don't leave the training area.' "She mumbled.

"Exactly! And what did you do?"

"I left the training ar- OW!"

"Zorry," Medic said. "Almozt done."

"Solly, give her a break. It wasn't her fault." Scout said.

"No, Scout. It was my fault. I didn't do as I was told and got hurt." Zero said.

"How did you get hurt?" Spy asked.

"I fell down the steps by the sewers."

"Why were you by zhe sewers?"

"I…" She shook her head.

"You?" Soldier said, impatiently. She looked up at him.

"I followed that other Scout and got lost."

Everyone looked at her.

"You what!?" Scout exclaimed.

"I hid in the Intel room and the other Scout took that briefcase thing on the desk. Then that lady who always shouts at you guys did her... shouting thing. And I followed him."

"Why?"

"I was curious."

"You haven't told us why you left the room!" Soldier shouted. Zero's expression changed from sad to angry.

"I got bored!" Zero shouted back. "I'm sorry! I know I shouldn't have left the training area but I got really bored and when I heard the shouting outside, I got worried. Happy?"

"You, maggot, are going to make this team lose if you don't behave!"

"Hey! If I remember correctly, Engie said that you'd lost 24 battles. And if my calculations are correct, giving you battle every weekday, that's about 4 or 5 weeks! Well, give or take a few days, maybe if you fought on a weekend once in a while."

"And your point is?"

"You were losing badly before Scout even found me! Before I even escaped that hell hole! So how can I make you lose, huh? All I did was follow..." Zero turned to Scout. "What's his name?"

"Just say Blu's Scout." He said.

"Yeah him!" She said turning back to Soldier. "And I did it without anyone catching me!"

"Until you screamed after ceasefire." Medic mumbled.

"Don't you start!" Zero said.

"Look, let's just be grateful that zhe other team didn't zee her and that she isn't too badly hurt." Spy said as he got up from his seat.

Zero looked back at the floor and let out a sad sigh.

"I'm surprised that the BLU maggots didn't hear her!" Soldier said.

"I didn't scream that loud!" Zero exclaimed.

"Are you kidding? I heard you from outzide!" Medic said.

"What? Just leave me alone!"

"SHUT UP!" Scout shouted.

"Right! Zero left the trainin' area, followed that stupid BLU dumb ass, got lost, fell over and cut herself! It's not like she ran into a sentry and died! OK? That's it! End of freakin' story!"

Everyone kept quiet.

"Scout is right. Let's just drop zhe zubject." Spy said.

Zero pulled her arm away from Medic. She sat quietly, and the men could see she was upset. "You're angry at me, aren't you?" She asked quietly.

"Nah, not angry, just worried," Said Scout and he put an arm around her shoulders. "Right, guys."

Spy and Medic nodded, while Soldier just let out a sigh.

"I'm sorry, I've messed everything up, like always."

"Just don't do it again, you hear?" Soldier said. Zero nodded as a few small tears fell from her eyes. Soldier walked out of the Infirmary and slammed the door shut.

Zero turned to Medic. "He hates me, doesn't he?"

"Nein. He's just... um..." Medic said, not sure of what to say.

"He's just a bit upzet." Spy answered. Medic gave Spy a nod.

"Right, sure he is. Let's face it, he hates my GUTS!" Zero sighed. "It doesn't matter. I just got to find out how to make it up to him."

"What? Why?" Scout asked, confused.

Zero wiped her tears and stood up, heading for the door. "Because... I owe him an apology." She then walked out of the Infirmary.

"Zero!" Scout called.

"Leave her." Spy said quietly. "I'm sure she knows what she's doing."

Through out the RED base, the smell of burning could be... well, smelled.

Engineer and Pyro ran into the kitchen, only to find a panicking Zero rushing back and forth between the oven and the counter.

"Crap, crap, crap, crap!" She screamed. She caught eye contact with Engie. "Don't just stand there, help me!"

Engie pulled her to the side while Pyro quickly opened the oven door and pulled out the baking tray inside and placed it on the counter.

"Mmph mph mmph?" Asked Pyro. Zero looked at Engie.

"What the hell?" The smaller man translated. "Yep, what are you doing, missy?"

"I'm baking cupcakes. Or what's meant to be cupcakes anyway. They don't look anything like the ones in the book." Zero said. "Guess I better try again, huh?"

"Why are you baking?"

"I owe Solider and apology, so I thought I'd bake him something and cupcakes seemed like the easiest recipe to follow. Apparently I was wrong."

Pyro let out a laugh. "Mmph mmph mff mff mff mphh!"

"Yeah Pyro, maybe."

"You knew what he said?" Engie asked.

"Well I made out 'Maybe', 'Can't' and 'Bake'."

Pyro nodded to tell her she had the right idea of what he said. Zero sighed, picked up the burned cakes from the tray and threw them in the bin.

"Practise makes perfect I guess."

"Do you need any help this time?" Engie asked. Zero shook her head.

"Nope, I got it."

"Ok, if you say so." He leaving the kitchen, and Pyro then followed him.

Once they got half way down the corridor, however, they heard a small scream from the kitchen.

"Shit," Zero said. Engie and Pyro turned around and saw she was standing behind them, covered in flour. "Okay, yeah in need help."

Engineer laughed as they walked towards her. "Sure, but first go and change into some new clothes."

"New clothes got it!" Zero said and she rushed upstairs, to her room. Her footsteps quickly made their way back to the stairs as she called back down to the two men.

"Be careful when you get in the kitchen. I dropped a few eggs and they're all over the floor!"

During dinner, everyone could tell Soldier was still in a mood with Zero. He hardly talked to her at the dinner table and when she went to say something to him, he'd start talking to someone else, knowing she wouldn't interrupt.

(Even though she had been stuck in a building all of her life, she still had good manners.)

Zero eventually gave up and sadly went up to her room, Scout quickly going after her. After a while, Pyro went up to check on her as well.

Later on that night, Soldier retreated to his room. He took off his helmet and placed it on the desk. His eyes focused on the piece folded of paper on the floor with the word 'Soldier' on it, but it was spelt 'Souldiar'.

He picked it up and unfolded it, reading the note inside. It was scribbled and the spelling was worse then a 3 year olds (in Soldiers opinion), but it was still a little bit readable.

_Deer Souldiar,_

_Can yo meeat mi in de traning ara at eliven pleese? I nead to speek wif yo._

_Zirro._

"I wonder what she wants now." Soldier sighed as he put his helmet back on his head.

He stomped out of his room and headed towards the training area. Almost everyone had turned in for the night, except for Engineer, but he was in his workshop and wouldn't bother anyone.

When Soldier entered the training area, he found Zero sitting on a crate with a red box complete with a ribbon placed in front of her. He shut the door and slowly walked over to her, and when he was a couple of meters away, she looked at him.

"So you managed to read my sad excuse of a note?" She asked. He moved a crate and sat next to her.

"It was a challenge, but yes. So why do you want to speak to me?" He asked, not a hint of anger or annoyance in his voice.

Zero noticed this and looked at him, confusion showing on her face. "You're not shouting." She said. "But you always shout."

"No point in shouting at you. I've been doing it all day and you've been getting upset, and I can't be bothered with an upset girl on my mind right now." He said, looking at her with a smile. She smiled back but quickly turned her head.

"Are you still angry with me?" She asked quietly.

"No."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because, it thought it over, you're still a kid, Scout's age at the most and I'm sure he's 19 or 20. You're obviously going to get bored if you stay in one place too long."

"So? I still didn't listen, and look what happened! I got hurt, you got annoyed, and Scout and Spy got worried. Those things aren't good."

"Everyday Scout has told you to stay in this room, and everyday you've listened. And maybe I was a bit harsh on you. You were going to get hurt somehow, and it just so happens you did it out of this room. But I'm surprised you shouted back at me. I really didn't expect that."

"Yeah, well I didn't expect it either. And I'm sorry." Zero said, looking at the floor.

They both sat in silence, but after a while Soldier let out a sigh.

"Zero, it might not look like it, but I'm worried about you."

"You are?" She asked, looking at him.

"Yes. I heard about what has happened to you... and I actually feel sorry for you. Those people in that building you said you escaped from have left you scarred... and terrified. You can't write properly, you don't know what most things are and you're scared of almost everything."

"Yep, that's me! The most useless person in the world!"

"No, you're not useless. But, and I know this is going to make me sound like a smart-ass, but I think in your head, your still only about 6-12. You can't even spell your 'name' correctly."

"Yep, that made you sound like a smart-ass!" Zero laughed. Soldier let out a laugh as well.

"But, yeah. I'm worried about you, kid. But I guess we can't keep you here everyday."

"What are you getting at?"

"I'm letting you out of this room. You can go anywhere on the top levels of the base, just as long as you promise me not to go down to the lower levels or outside. Ok?"

"Deal!" She said and held out her hand. He grabbed it and they shook hands, smiling.

"Here." Zero said and handed Soldier the red box.

"What is it?" He asked.

"Open them and find out."

Soldier untied the ribbon and lifted the lid of the box, and when he saw what was inside he shook his head a little and let out a gentle laugh.

"Cupcakes?"

"Yep! I made them myself!" She said happily. Soldier raised an eyebrow.

"Engie and Pyro helped you didn't they?"

"Uh... Yeah, just a bit."

"Fair enough," He said and handed her one. He picked out another and placed the box on the floor. "And don't you dare tell anyone about this!"

"Don't worry. My lips are sealed!" She said as she took a bite of the cake. "I promise."

Soldier smiled. "I'm not going to be like this in front of the team, so don't get used to it!"

"Oh, no worries; I'm used to big, tough, manly Soldier anyway. This quiet, sweet Soldier creeps me out a little bit." She said sarcastically.

10 minutes later, Zero said goodnight to Soldier and went to her room. She changed into her night clothes and hopped into bed. Her eyes shut as soon as her head hit the pillow.

"I'm glad he doesn't hate me..." She mumbled before falling asleep.

A/N: No, I am not going to put these two together in any way! I just don't think that Solly's ALWAYS shouting, and I wanted to write it. If he's OOC, I'm sorry... really sorry!


	8. Chapter 8 Meeting The Admin

**A/N: And… I'm not dead! It's a miracle! Let's celebrate by uploading this chapter! (I am truly sorry I have not been around… but stuff's been going on and I never get any time to write any more so… you know… SORRY!) Also I got TF2! It doesn't work though… … stupid computer…**

**Disclaimer: I don't own TF2…**

Zero nervously glanced at the woman on the opposite side of the table. She didn't exactly know what to expect, what was going to happen to her.

"So," The woman began. Her voice was sharp and loud. "You men have been hiding a young girl in your base for just under week, even though you don't know who she is, her name, her age, her family or anything else about her for that matter… and you thought I wouldn't notice?"

The team didn't look at the Administrator, but instead just mumbled for an answer. This obviously frustrated Helen, as her stare darkened.

"Well, if you're not going to speak to me, then you're no use to me at the moment!" She shouted, making everyone jump, including Miss Pauling.

Everyone except for Zero, that is, as she was so terrified she had frozen like a statue and was so pale she looked as if she was going to be sick.

"Now, you are all going to wait outside while I have a little chat with our young lady here."

Everyone just glanced at each other, and then stared at Helen in confusion. But when she finally shouted "GO!" everyone rushed out of the room. When the room was empty and the door had shut, the Administrator turned to Zero, who had still not moved, or even blinked.

When she finally snapped out of her trance, Zero tried her very best not to burst out crying. Helen could see right through her attempts.

"I know you're scared, don't try to hide it," She said, and Zero looked away.

Then the tears began to fall, and the older woman handed her a box of tissues.

"Please, there is no need to cry, I'm not going to shout at you."

Zero looked up in confusion. "Huh? But, I was told… They… They told me…"

"That I always shout? That's partly true; I shout at the team, yes, but only because they're useless men who can't do as they're told or even do the simplest of tasks as collecting a briefcase or standing on a point for a few seconds a couple of time a day."

"Standing on a point?"

"Don't worry, you'll see soon enough, maybe. But, no, I'm not going to shout at you."

"Why?"

"Because… I'm impressed."

"Huh? What do you mean you're 'impressed', and with who?"

"I'm impressed with you."

"Wait, with me?"

"Yes, I saw what you did in that training area." Helen gave a laugh. "You destroyed the place!"

Zero looked down at her hands and her cheeks blushed with embarrassment. "I'm very sorry… I didn't mean to."

"Oh please, don't apologize," Was all the Admin said, and she lit up a cigarette, taking a puff.

Zero gave a puzzled look at the woman. 'Why isn't she angry with me? And how did she find out that I was in the training area?' She looked behind the woman. There were about 16 screens, all showing a different area of the base. 'Maybe she watched me, with those cameras?'

"In fact," Helen's voice snapped Zero back into real time and she turned to listen. "I'm quite pleased. I haven't seen combat like that from any of these men. And I certainly never expected to see it from a young girl," The Admin leaned back into her chair. "I also understand that you ran away from your home. Now won't your mother be worrying?"

Zero shook her head. "No, M'am. I don't have a home, or a mother, or a father, or a family, or a name." She closed her eyes.

"I don't know where I've come from. But, please, M'am, don't make me go back. Please! I don't know what else they'd do!" Zero whispered, shaking and quivering in fear, a double waterfall of tears falling down her cheeks.

"I'm not going to send you anywhere, Miss Pauling told me everything you told her when she found you in the base. Is it true you were curled up on the couch?" Helen asked.

"Yes, M'am, I had a bad dream again and felt ill this morning."

"Ok then, that's fine. But on a different note; how would you like to stay here?"

Zero froze, unable to hear what was coming from the older woman's mouth.

"S-stay?" She stuttered.

"Yes, stay in the base. You could become a part of the team. And I think a new recruit is just what these men need to get them motivated. They've been a little distracted these past few days, worrying about you, but I'm sure if you were with them, they'd soon stop."

"Recruit? You mean-"

"Zero, how would you like to become a member of Red?" Helen asked a small smile on her face. "You certainly have the skills and attitude!"

Zero stayed still, and then began to nervously laugh. When the Administrator's smile widened a little, she stopped and whispered, "You're serious?"

"Dead serious," Helen whispered back.

"Are- are you kidding me? I can't stay here! I'm only a girl! Hell, I don't know anything! I wouldn't survive!"

"No, but you're an excellent fighter! You're just what we need!"

"But-"

"How about I make you a deal?"

Zero stopped talking and nodded. 'This woman's older than me, she probably knows what she's doing' she thought.

"If you agree to join Red and help those men on the field, I'll give you a job. You'd have to do it correctly and quickly everyday, apart from weekends. In return, I let you stay with your new friends, all safe and sound. You'll get enough food so your strength will build up to what it should be, I could get the Engineer to teach you a few things, as well as the other men. I'm sure that they'd be happy to help. And you'll get paid, but it will be a lot less than what the men are getting, frankly because you're a lot younger and just starting out, but I'll ensure it's enough so you can get a few outfits for yourself."

Zero thought about it. Her mind and her heart were arguing like a house on fire; her mind going "Are you kidding me? What if 'they' find you, huh? They'll murder everyone who's met you! They won't want any evidence of you getting out!" but her heart was saying "You owe these guys a lot! They saved your life, and ever though they don't know you, let you stay in their work place! They accepted you, and to tell the truth, you fit in here! You better take the offer! Not like anyone else is going to help you."

"So… all I have to do is fight Blu's?" Zero asked. Helen gave a nod.

"And you let me stay?"

"Yes, you're basically being offered the same job as the rest of the team."

"Huh…"

"Would you prefer to discuss this with someone?" Helen finally asked.

"Yes please…" Zero said with a nod. "I don't know what to do!"

The Administrator gave a nod to the door. The girl walked over and opened it, leaning her head out. Everyone looked at her with worried eyes.

"Could someone please come in here, I need to talk with someone," She whispered.

The men, who all feared the worst, mumbled between each other. Engineer, Spy and Scout all stood up and made their way to the door.

"Thank you, guys," Zero whispered and went back to her seat. The three men sat down and faced the Administrator.

"All right men, I've given her an option. She can be let go, I'll get Miss Pauling to take her to the nearest orphanage and I'll never let you see her again…"

The three men stayed quiet while Zero gave a horrified look. 'What the hell? She never said that!"

"Or, she can work with Red and stay with you. She doesn't know what's best, so it's your choice."

Scout gave a smile and looked at Zero with bright eyes. "Well, you know what I'd choose!"

"Alright, that's one yes, what about you two?" Helen asked.

"Guys, I don't want to intrude in your lives…" Zero said.

"Hey, you don't even have a real life. So I guess we could give you one!" Engie laugh. "I say she's in!"

"That's two!" Scout exclaimed. "Spy?"

"Well I can't exactly say no, now can I?" He said, giving a small smile in the youngster's direction.

Zero's eyes brightened and a big smile slowly crept onto her face. "Re-really?"

"Of course!"

"Ha… ha-ha… Does that mean…?" Zero turned to Helen. "Am I in?"

"They certainly want you to stay… but please keep in mind that you will be surrounded by experienced mercenaries… and they will most likely try to kill you," The Administrator said, her voice now strict and cold again.

Zero's smile shrunk and her mind and heart quickly argued yet again.

"You heard the lady! You'll be killed!" Her mind kept saying.

Just then, Scout lent over and whispered in her ear.

"Don't worry," He said. "You'll be fine once you're hooked up to respawn! How do you think I survive everyday?"

"You heard the boy!" Her heart said. "You're never going to die if that's what they're using! They're your friends, you owe them! And you'll get to know them a lot better! All new mercenaries probably feel nervous when they just start out! Don't be scared!"

"Um…" Zero mumbled, snapping out of the debate.

"Listen to me!" Her brain yelled.

"No, listen to me!" Her heart shouted.

"Are you kidding, I'm smarter than you!"

"Yeah, but in case you didn't know, most people listen to me!"

"SHUT UP!" Zero screamed aloud, making everyone jump, including the one's who where still outside of the room.

Miss Pauling quietly entered and asked, "Is everything ok, M'am?"

"Yes Miss Pauling. The young lady is just having an argument with herself." Helen said. Zero looked at her in disbelief.

"How…?" She started, but all the Admin did was tap her nose and smirk.

"Have you come to a decision?"

"Yes," Zero said, nodding.

"And?"

Zero looked at Scout, Engineer and Spy, all of them smiling at her. "I accept your offer."

"Are you sure?" Helen asked. Zero shrugged and nodded.

"What have I got to lose?"

The Admin gave a small grin. "Alright, go and tell your new team the good news."

"Yes, M'am," Zero smiled, and turned to Scout. "You heard the boss, come on!"

She grabbed his arm and dragged him out of the room, a big smile planted on both of their faces.

"Well that's perked her up!" Engie said happily.

"I wonder what caused that." Spy added.

"Maybe it's because she has somewhere to stay," Helen said. The two men turned to her and smiled. "But just remember, she is still only a child. So I trust you to take care of her. She may need some guidance."

"You can count on us, M'am," Engie said. Helen motioned for them to leave the room then turned away to face the screens behind her. "Come on, Spy, let's get her back to the base!"

They both left the room, leaving only Helen and her assistant.

Zero laughs could be heard from outside the room, along with the rest of the team's happy comments.

"What's wrong, Miss Pauling? You seem awfully quiet." The woman asked.

"I'm just wondering, M'am, of what she should do next?" Miss Pauling quietly asked. She knew Helen liked to think after recruiting someone new to the teams.

"Hmm… Well, I suppose we should give her a class."

"Would you like me to set up the training areas, M'am?"

"Yes, if you could Miss Pauling, one for Defence, one for Support and one for Offence. I want to see what she's best at."

Miss Pauling walked towards the door. "Yes M'am, I'll have them ready for tomorrow."


End file.
